Three years after Bay Area Rapid Transit expanded to San Francisco International Airport, officials Thursday announced a $300,000 advertising campaign aimed at increasing passenger numbers that haven’t met expectations.

Ridership has continued to grow since the SFO station opened on June 22, 2003, but not at rates fast enough to prevent service reductions, route changes and fare increases, including a 3.7 percent hike on Jan. 1 this year.

Construction of a $1.5 billion, 8.7-mile extension route began in 1997 and included stations in South San Francisco, San Bruno and Millbrae. It was initially scheduled for completion at the end of 2001, but a series of obstacles caused a year-and-a-half delay of the project, according to BART.

In February 2004, BART re-routed its San Mateo County lines so that passengers to Millbrae must pass through SFO, instead of a direct trip, adding time and cost to the ride.

BART officials say the expansion has been a success. BART estimates that ridership grew by 15 percent between the first and second years of the SFO station’s opening, said BART spokesman Linton Johnson.

In fiscal year 2006, ridership continued to grow by about 4.2 percent, although the rate of growth has been trending downward, according to BART’s budget for fiscal year 2007.

The ad campaign reminding passengers that BART is a 30-minute ride to downtown San Francisco begins this monthy. The $5.15 fare beats a taxi or shuttle that can cost up to $40 for a trip downtown.

The campaign won’t cost taxpayers anything because BART and SFO are making an even trade. The airport will give BART free advertising space throughout its terminals and BART will display SFO ads just about everywhere — on tickets, in stations, and inside and outside of cars.

More in News

Click here if you are unable to view this gallery on a mobile device.Almost immediately after the Camp Fire roared through the town of Paradise, destroying most of the homes and businesses of the 26,000 people who lived there, evacuees began pitching tents in the parking lot of Walmart, down the hill in Chico.It also became a place for people...

The White House's move to restore Acosta's pass, announced in a letter to the news network, appeared to be a capitulation to CNN in its brief legal fight against the administration. White House officials had suspended Acosta's White House press pass following a contentious news conference on Nov. 7, prompting CNN to sue last week to force the administration to...